Web Inspiration: Tine K Home

The 'white house' of designer Tine Kjeldsen was in the March issue of Elle Decoration. If you thought white was boring, prepare to change your mind!

Whites and a supportive neutral palette seems to make each of these rooms shine with light. I find the lack of clutter so soothing- I have found that whenever I am restless or can't focus on my work, the first thing I do is clean up the room, put everything in place and clear my desk and then I feel better. That just might be me but don't you think a clutter-free space is so welcoming? Especially the work area?
 Danish designer Tine Kjeldsen runs a home products company, Tine K home featuring an "adventurous mix of Asian, French, Scandinavian and Moroccan colors, shapes and surfaces..." Here is some truly beautiful inspiration from their catalog...

Many online stores carry their products that are sourced from all over the world. Visit Tine K home here for details.

All images from Elle Decoration and Tine K Home.

Amy Butler Designs Giveaway winner!

I am back to announce the winner of the Amy Butler Designs set of 5 sewing patterns sponsored by the Amy Butler Design Studio. The winner was picked by a random number generator and the winner (drumroll, please) is...Rachael Anne! 

Rachael, please send me an email with your mailing address so that I can send this to you as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone for participating!

Shopping Bag Finds: Lubna Chowdhary's Beautiful storage jars

Gorgeous, hand-thrown storage containers with the most beautiful hand glazed mosaic-like lids by Lubna Chowdhary. Perfect for storing your tea and adding beauty to your day!

I spotted this in my copy of Elle Decoration (UK). (I was so happy to pick up a stash of UK and Australian magazines during my layover in Dubai earlier this month.)

 Images via Lubna Chowdhary and bloesem.

Weekend bliss

Hope your weekend is in full swing!
(I saw this in my May issue of Country Living (May,'10) and had to share it with you. Lovely spring-summer issue!) 


Image from Country Living magazine; Photography by Lucas Allen.

Graham and Green (UK)

I spotted this bone-inlay chest of drawers on Graham and Green (UK) and loved it for its, well, prettiness. It is a contemporary take on the usual dark-wood-with-bone-inlay colonial furniture. Visit their website here for some beautiful accessories. 

Images from Graham and Green (UK).

In love with: Photography by Hannah of honey and jam

This post is so appropriate for Earth Day. I recently came across honey and jam, a blog that celebrates simple, natural pleasures. Hannah is a 19-year old from Georgia and the creative force behind honey and jam. She is an amazing photographer, baker, writer and tea lover. And because so much of what she writes is accompanied by a cup of tea, it really resonates with me. Tea and beautiful things always seem to go together. Enjoy Hannah's pictures here and then hop on over to her blog for more deliciousness. 

This picture is my favorite among all the others. To buy some of her prints, visit her Etsy store. 

All images courtesy of and copyrighted to Hannah of honey and jam. Thanks for sharing, Hannah!

Happy Earth Day

These pictures celebrate the bounty and colors of the earth. They are not new but they are my favorite pictures and now that I can share really large pictures, I wanted to post them again. Remember, every day is earth day.

Images copyright Once Upon A Tea Time..Design Stories.

Loving your home: Shalini in Dubai

 Welcome to the home of fellow blogger, freelance writer, photographer and OUATT reader, Shalini. Her blog, of travels and travails, was one of the first blogs that I started reading back when blogging was still new to me. Her warmth and innate sense of style are reflected in her writings, photography and of course, in her home. The main reason I like featuring home tours is that I get visit so many different homes and both you and I instinctively know when a home reflects the personality and lives of the people that live there. Beautiful homes aren't only about the decor- it's how much of yourself you add to the mix. 

The warm wood tones, the abundance of sunlight (this is Dubai after all!), the welcome cooling greens, all add up to a great earthy combination. In fact, the living room, above, just begs you to put your feet up, grab that book and settle down. 

Here is what Shalini has to say about her home, "I like my home to be a place of comfort, somewhere that one is completely at ease, so I don't particularly care for a perfect look. It must be real, it must reflect our life, our travels, our interests and must have a good vibration. Natural light is something that really makes a huge difference in creating a nice atmosphere, and even though we live in the harsh and hot weather of Dubai, I knew I had to have direct sunlight. I love noticing the patterns of light and shadow created by the window grills as the day and seasons progress. 

Art is a huge inspiration and theme for me. I love to collect art and since I left my collection of original art work in India when we moved to Dubai, I have been enjoying both making art myself and buying art on Etsy. The b/w paisley artwork in the living room is by me. The small portraits of a man and a woman, which I call "Mr and Mrs" were bought when I lived in Kansas City, while the print of the Doge's palace in Venice is from when I was in college."

These beautiful pictures brought much-needed sunshine to my day. I am sure they brightened your day too! Thank you for sharing, Shalini! Visit Shalini at her blog here.


All images courtesy of and copyrighted to Shalini.

Let's take it outside!

In the space of one afternoon, it has been sunny, rained heavily and we have had hail- all part of the crazy spring we have been having here. But as the weather gets warmer, we tend to spend more and more of our time outdoors. As I have mentioned before, our garden is a thing of wild beauty- bushes of lavender, clumps of daisies, fragrant roses, orange, lemon, fig, plum, peach, pomegranate and apple trees, all live happily together. As almost every room looks out onto the garden, you are bound to be distracted by the beautiful greenery outside and hear the faint tinkle of wind chimes wherever you are (and also, a rooster who starts crowing at sharp noon but that is another story :). I have been wanting to create a outdoor retreat- nothing too fancy but a table, comfortable chairs and lanterns figure in the picture. Here are some beautiful pictures that tempt me to take the party outside...

What do you think? Which ones did you like? I am not too fond of spindly, metal furniture,  so I am looking for something substantial. My absolute favorite is the first picture with the big tree and hanging lanterns. Our trees are still young but if I could adapt that to fit my garden, it would be wonderful. Do write in with your comments. 

Images via Mazzandthemachine, Style me pretty, House to home, Sunset magazine, Kathryn Ireland in House Beautiful magazine, Kathryn Ireland, House to home.

Hello Monday

Did you have a relaxing weekend? We went to two concerts on Saturday and Sunday was spent running a few errands and meeting friends. It was very relaxing. It was warm here and the garden is alive with bees and butterflies. I threw open all the windows and soon, the entire house seemed to be perfumed with the fragrance of roses and orange blossoms. Heady! All this has made me ready for the week. How about you? Here are some new illustrations from the desk of Pragya Kothari of Studio Artocrat (I have featured her work here) to get your week moving ahead.

Always love the upbeat, waiting-to bring-a smile-to-your-face feel to her art! Visit her at her Etsy store here. Have a great week!

Yay for the weekend!

Are you having a great weekend? Mine is just beginning and I am looking forward to it. I took this picture today evening after I brewed my cup of tea (cardamom, this time), checked on the roses that are beginning to bloom and then settled down to read the Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz- a captivating read. What are your plans for the weekend? We are going to a music concert on Saturday but the rest of the weekend is going to be spent outdoors in the garden. See you later!

Amy Butler's Midwest Modern sewing patterns giveaway!

I am a big fan of Amy Butler Designs and it is with great pleasure that I invite you to take part in a Amy Butler Midwest Modern sewing patterns giveaway. A must for sewing enthusiasts everywhere! I love how their fabrics are so feminine and stylish. These patterns are waiting for a creative person who can work their magic on them.

At stake is a set of 5 Midwest Modern patterns- 
1. Gumdrop Pillows
2. Laptop cover and mp3 case
3. Frenchy bags
4. Midwest Mod Pillows
5. Stash and dash bags

What is being given away: Set of 5 sewing patterns from Amy Butler Design Studios
What you have to do: Leave me a comment expressing your interest in the giveaway. 
Deadline to take part: April 22nd 2010
The giveaway is open to all and the winner will be picked by a random number generator. 
Giveaway courtesy: Amy Butler Design Studios

Block Prints Revisited

One of the most popular posts on the blog continues to be my post on wood block-prints- it is about an year old and I thought it was time for an update. There are many retail and wholesale resources for inexpensive yet stylish block prints in Asia in general and India in particular. But now, thanks to the internet, it doesn't really matter where in the world you are. Here are some online sites you can visit to stock up some brightly colored prints in time for summer. 

1. Pottery Barn has always been a firm favorite and I am loving their new block print table linens. They had a similar collection out few years ago and I bought pillows and table linens- they still look as vibrant as ever.  

2. Anokhi is a Rajasthan, India-based company whose hand-blocked scarves (seen above Navy Roses cotton scarf) I have always liked. I recently saw that they offer bedding too and their quilts look perfect for summer.

3. Bungalow- I have blogged about this Denmark-based company before and they are a wonderful resource of block print fabrics. Their take on block print fabrics is very stylish and contemporary making me feel that block printing will never go out of fashion.

4. Also check out  Jewelweeds on Etsy for their eco-friendly, block printed linens, pillows and sachets.

I cannot list the number of emails I have received asking me where you could purchase the wooden blocks used for block printing. Though block printing can be done using wood, linoleum or any other hard material, the intricately carved wooden blocks are works of art by themselves. Within India, I have come across street vendors at popular tourist destinations that sell these blocks- the Kala Ghoda area in Mumbai is one such place. But I don't know of a particular street/store that you could visit to buy these blocks. If you know of any, do share with us. I looked online and found some sellers on Etsy..click here to browse. For all those who would like to try their hand at block printing, Urban Outfitters offers a complete kit.

Do email me if you would like to share your favorite block print resources/stores.


Images copyright Wooden block by OUATT, Pottery Barn Anokhi USA Bungalow, Jewelweeds, Wooden blocks by OUATT.